Cigarette case



Nov. 6, 1962 T. G. FLETCHER 3,062,365

CIGARETTE CASE Filed Oot. 9, 1959 IEDE.

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States U il@ 3,062,365 CIGARETTE CASE Thomas G. Fletcher, McColl, S.C. (Box 152, Laurinburg, S.C.) Filed Oct. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 845,411 1 Claim. (Cl. 206--41) This invention relates to cigarette cases; `and while it will be described, for definiteness of disclosure, as a case, holder or container for cigarettes, it is not so limited but, by proper adaptation such as change in size, is also useful for miniature cigars or cigarillos and cigars.

Many cigarette smokers are genuinely desirous of smoking in moderation but are unable to reduce the number of cigarettes consumed per day because they have no way to easily determine how many cigarettes they have smoked up to any particular time of day. They remove each cigarette from the pack almost mechanically or unconsciously, light up and, except for noting the empty space in the pack, have no real idea as to the number already smoked, or the number remaining which can be smoked to remain within any pre-set quota.

It is the basic purpose and object of this invention to provide a cigarette case or container which enables the individual smoker to indicate his predetermined allotment of cigarettes for the day or other period of time, remind him of the number of cigarettes already consumed that day, the number remaining he can smoke within his selfset quota, and the time when the next cigarette can be smoked `within that quota, and enables him with a slight exercise of the will to regulate his smoking, to distribute it evenly over the day land to reduce it to moderation.

Another object is to provide a neat attractive case or container for cigarettes with individual compartments for each cigarette and an area extending transversely across all the cigarette compartments and bearing time or other marks indicating the time at or during which the cigarette in each compartment may be smoked to stay within any set quota.

A further object is to provide a case as aforesaid wherein the number of cigarettes smoked at -any given time of day may be determined at a glance and the time or other indications changed as desired to reduce the quota.

Other objects and advantages of the invention Will be apparent after a study of the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE l is a plan View of an open cigarette case comprising two hingedly connected halves and embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view of an open cigarette case partly broken away and showing a modified form of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 2 but showing a still further modication;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional detail view taken in a plane identified by the line 4-4, FIGURE 2, and showing the tab with its removable and marked card;

FIGURE 5 is a section taken in a plane identified by line 5 5, FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a view showing a portion of a case embodying a still further modification; and

FIGURE 7 is a detail view of a modification using notched partitions.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 1, FIGURE 1, identies generally a cigarette case comprising halves 2 and hingedly connected at 4 along their contiguous edges and adapted, when closed, to form a container holding a standard pack of twenty cigarettes C, in compact, sideby-side relation. Spring latch means of known construction, as indicated at 5 on case half 2, and 6 on half 3,

cooperate to hold the case closed. Usually hinge 4 incorporates a light spring, not shown, so that, when release tab 7 is pressed, the two halves automatically swing to the open position shown. It will be understood that the size of the case in the vertical direction shown upon FIGURE l, will depend upon whether the case is intended to hold regular or king size cigarettes.

The two case halves are provided with a plurality of evenly-spaced parallel partitions 8 upstanding from the bottom thereof, so that contiguous partitions define between them a compartment for a cigarette. These partitions may be integral with the respective halves of the case or they may be attached thereto by adhesive, brazing, or other known way. The partitions may extend upwardly for substantially the entire depth of the case half, as indicated at 8a, FIGURE 7, in which event each is preferably provided with a notch 9 to facilitate withdrawal of each cigarette from its compartment or recess. However, the partitions need extend only part way from the bottom of each half, as in FIGURE 1, so that each cigarette may be easily removed from its compartment.

'Ihe top edge of the case halves are provided with flat surfaces which may be made to receive erasable or semipermanent markings or to have respective gummed markable strips 10 and 11 secured thereto. A supply of these gummed strips will be included with each purchase of a case. These strips, as shown, have spaced short vertical lines or division marks such as 12, so that when properly positioned and secured to the case surface, each line will be in alignment with a respective partition.

Before or `after attaching, each strip is conveniently marked with hour indications, shown merely for the purpose of illustration as beginning at 7:00 a.m. and extending to 11 p.m., as where the owner decides to limit his smoking to one pack a day and to smoke but one cigarette an hour with an extra at lunch, dinner, and in the evening. Of course, each owner can set his own quota and distribute his smoking on a time basis throughout the day, as he wishes. For example, he might set a two-hour period between cigarettes up to lunch time, then allow himself one for each half-hour, then return to a two-hour period until dinner. The spaces can be marked at intervals with certain events of the day such Ias lunch and dinner. The point is that each owner who is genuinely desirous of regulating and moderating his smoking is greatly aided in so doing by setting his own quota of cigarettes and the times he can smoke them to stay within that quota. In any event he can tell -at ya glance at the time or other markings how many cigarettes he has smoked and whether or not his schedule entitles him to another at that particular time. It takes but a relatively small exercise of the will, having definitely set la schedule, to wait for the next smoke period and by lengthening or shortening time periods at intervals of, say, a month, the user can positively and surely cut down or regulate his smoking on a rationed basis as he wishes or as dictated by conditions of health, etc.

While FIGURE l shows removable gummed strips, the flat surfaces 2a and 3a of the case itself may be formed as roughened or mat surfaces adapted to take and retain pencil or ink markings which the owner can apply and erase as he Wishes, in change of his smoking habits. In such case the lines 12 will preferably be permanently formed upon the surfaces of the case to define spaces each identifying a respective cigarette compartment. While it is contemplated that the partitions may be so spaced as to hold each cigarette in place with -a light pressure along its sides, suitable means not shown, such as elastic cords may be secured at their ends to the case to extend over and across the compartments in each case half, to thereby removably hold the cigarettes in place.

FIGURE 2 shows a cigarette case including halves 13 and 14 hingedly connected at 15 and each sized to hold ten cigarettes. In this modification a pair of tabs 16 and 17 are hinged at their adjacent ends, as indicated at 18 and 19, to the edge surfaces of the case halves 13 and 14, respectively. The arrangement and disposition of the tabs is such that the halves may be closed together as in FIGURE 1 and held in such position by releasable latch means 20. The hinges of the tabs are of the spring type urging each into the position shown, extending over and across the respective halves of the case.

As shown upon FIGURE 4 for tab 16, both tabs are in the form of shallow channels with overhanging side edges 16a and 16b forming between them a space in which a markable strip of paper, cardboard or plastic may be inserted from the end of the tab and frictionally held in place. Since the other tab 17 may be a duplicate of 16, it is sufficient to identify its strip 21. A number of these strips may be supplied with each purchase of a case, and preformed with marks such as the dots shown, or short spaced vertical lines positioned to afford between them, spaces for the desired time indicia or other event at which the cigarette in the underlying compartment may be smoked. The numbers 1 to 11 shown on these strips are merely symbolic and, of course, may be replaced by others such as are shown upon FIGURE l.

At FIGURES 3 and 5 I have shown a case essentially like those of FIGURES l and 2, with halves identified at 22 and 23, hingedly connected at 24. However, in this modification, the halves of the case are pressed or stamped in one piece from metal or plastic, as best shown in FIGURE 5, to form spaced parallel ridges such as 25 and defining between them a series of pockets or compartments each adapted to hold a cigarette. Markable plastic, elastic or resilient strips 26 and 27 may be riveted or adhesively secured at their ends to the side surfaces of the case halves to extend over and across the compartments and hold the cigarettes in place for easy removal. If desired, to make removal of the cigarettes easier, these strips may extend diagonally across the respective halves instead of the right angle shown. Thus, for example, strip 26 may extend from a position at the left end an inch or so above the lower edge of the case half, upwardly toward the right, with its right end attached a like distance below the top edge of the case half, thus affording a larger area for each time or other indication.

FIGURE 6 shows a further modification in which casing half 28 has ridges 29 defining compartments, one for each cigarette. These ridges are omitted over an area of regular width extending across the bottom to form a continuous smooth plane surface 30 which may be formed to receive markings of time or other events of the day. Alternatively a markable strip of adhesive tape may be secured over the aforesaid area. Or the strip may simply follow the undulations of the case bottom, over and across each ridge 29 therein.

In a still further embodiment the case halves may be made from transparent or translucent white or colored plastic so that the cigarettes within the case may be viewed therethrough without opening the case. The markings may then be formed or placed on specially prepared surfaces, inside or outside the case halves and extending across the cigarette compartments therein, to receive erasable time or other markings as previously described each identifying or designating the cigarette in the underlying compartment or recess. Alternatively the markings may be on strips of Scotch or like tape adhesively and removably fixed across the compartments of the respective halves.

In each instance where the time markings are to be placed on the material of the case itself, the specially prepared surface will have permanent short vertical lines or dots spaced therealong, each in alignment with, or over, a respective partition between cigarette compartments therein, to thus clearly define spaces between them by which a cigarette in that compartment is designated.

In the claims, the term registration means that each indicium of time is so located with relation to its respective cigarette compartment as to unmistakably identify the time at which a cigarette in that compartment may be smoked according to a pre-set schedule.

Numerous modifications and substitutions of equivalents will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a study of the foregoing disclosure. Therefore, the disclosure should be taken in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense; and it is my desire and intention to reserve all variations within the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having now fully disclosed the invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A case for cigarettes comprising a container of similar hinged halves, each having a bottom wall and side and end walls upstanding from and integral with said bottom wall, there being a plurality of parallel ridges fixed with the bottom wall of each said half and upstanding therefrom to form undulations, each contiguous pair of ridges dening a compartment for holding one cigarette, and a markable strip traversing said undulations perpendicular thereto and secured in face contact therewith, said strip following said undulations over and across each ridge, said strip having a number of markings corresponding to the number of undulations traversed thereby, each said marking being in registration with a respective one of said compartments.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 376,056 Alden Ian. 10, 1888 1,217,243 Tucker et al. Feb. 27, 1917 1,705,309 Parsons Mar. l2, 1929 1,821,753 Hovnan Sept. 1, 1931 1,974,234 Byrnes et al Sept. 18, 1934 2,658,468 Enfield Nov. 10, 1953 2,740,683 June Apr. 3, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 486,157 Great Britain May 3l, 1938 

